Process of making modified starches.



A. W. H. LENDERS.

PROCESS OF MAKING MODIFIED STARCHES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE25. 1914.

1 1 59,592. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A TTORNZSYS,

A. W. H. LENDERS.

PROCESS OF MAKING MODIFIED STARCHES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25. 1914.

Patented Nov.- 9, 1915.

4 $HEETS$HEET 2.

A. W. H. LENDERS.

PROCESS OF MAKING MODIFIED STARCHES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25. 1914.

1,159,592. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A W H LENDERS PROCESS OF MAKING MODIFIED STARCHES.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915. 4 SHEETS SHEET 4.

ADOLPH W. H. LENDERS, 0F CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

PROCESS OF MAKING MODIFIED STARCI-IES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 11915.

Application filed June 25, 1914. Serial No. 847,280.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ADoLPH IV. H. LEND- nRs,-a citizen of the United States, residing at CedarBapi'ds, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Making Modified Starches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of modified starches such as soluble starch, thin boiling starch, dextrin, British gum and allied products; and the invention has for its object to provide certain improvements in the method of converting raw starch into any of the above mentioned or allied conversion products, whereby a whiter, more uniformand otherwise better product is obtained than has been possible by the methods heretofore used; whereby the degree of conversion or dextrination may be accurately controlled to give av product of exactly the character required; whereby the formation of lumps is avoided, making it unnecessary to bolt or sift the product after conversion; and whereby, furthermore, the operation of converting the starch into the particular conversion product desired may be carried out economically, whether the amount manufactured be large or small, and by persons who are not skilled chemists or experts in 7 this art.

The invention has for further objects such other novel improvements in the art of converting starch into dextrin and similar conversion products, as will be hereinafter described and claime The process of my invention .will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which show a suitable apparatus by means of which the process may be carried out; it being understood that other forms of apparatus might be utilized without departure from the principles of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus with certain parts in section and certain parts broken away for the better illustration of the construction and operation of said apparatus, Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. r Fig. 3 i's a view similar to Fig. 1 showing means for subjecting the acidified starch toan additional mixing step to insure'an intimate and homogeneous mixture of the starch and acid before the material is sent to the converting vessel. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation, on an enlarged scale, taken on line H of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the additional mixing device shown in the preceding two figures. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of one of the end castings constituting part of the device shown in Fig. 5, and Fig. 7, a de veloped view of the drum thereof.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in the several figures of the drawings. The apparatus shown in the drawings is constructed as follows: A is a dextrinizing or converting vessel, B a mixing and conveying mechanism which delivers into the dextrinizing vessel, C a storage bin for the starch to be converted, D an elevator of the chain and bucket type for transporting the starch from the bin C to the converter and mixer B, E an agitator within the dextrinizing vessel A, F a vessel adapted to contain a suitable acid, for example, hydrochloric acid, and provided with an. atomizing nozzle arranged so as to introduce the acid in the form of a spray into the starch handled by the mixing and conveying mechanism B, H and I an air pump and its reservoir respectively, and J a motor for driving the several moving parts of the apparatus.

The elevator D is contained in a housing 10 separated from the bin C by a slide valve 1 operated by a hand lever 12. The starch in the bottom of the housing 10 is picked up by the buckets 13 of the elevator and discharged into a hopper 14 which leads to an opening 15 in the casing of the conveying and mixing mechanism B. The mouth 16 of the hopper is provided with a slide valve 17 whereby the rate of delivery of the starch to the mixing and conveying mechanism and hence to the dextrinizing vessel A may be regulated. The atomizing nozzle G projects into the mouth 16 of the hopper 14 so that as the starch enters the mixer it receives a properly proportioned amount of acid. A pipe 18 conducts compressed air from the tank I to the atomizing nozzle. The tank is preferably provided with a pressure gage 19 so that, by keeping the air pressure at the proper point, exactly the right amount of acid is delivered to the starch, having reference to the rate of delivery of the starch to the dextrinizing vessel which latter is cortrollable by the manipulation of slide valve The mixing and conveying mechanism B, by means of which the acidulated starch is conveyed to the dextrinizing vessel A, is

of the worm type with and its shaft 20 provi prongs 21 whereby a starch and point of a the point 0 into-the dex jacke p p designates the suppor wheel 36 driven around the sprocket ture shaft of the mo the shaft 34 is a bevel pinion a bevel pinion 40 on into the vessel A thr box 42, the agitator to this shaft. supported in a bearing bearings 44 on the suppor 45 is a countershaft 46 carrying a pu driven by a belt 48 from a pulley 49 shaft 34.

sprocket wheel 50 w chain 51 extending aroun 52 on the shaft 20 o f delivery of the a trinizing vessel. The dextrinizing vess t 22 supplied by s 23 provided with a Leading to the water supply pipe water outlet pipe 28, leads from the upp 29 is a petjacket throug escape when t vessel A is prefera hood 30 terminating in an through which the the converting opera The pipe i exhaust fan The other m are driven from motor J as follows:

its flight 19 notched vice B is controlled by manipulating the ded with blades or slide valve 17 As'the starch falls from the mixing of the hopper into the conveyer it is acidulated by kes place between the the acid sprayed from nozzle G. The n of the acid spray and amount of acid may be accurately controlled 7o cidulated starch by means of the valve 61 governing the air pressure.- \Vith the starch in pulverized ded with a condition and the acid in the form of a team through steam spray, acidulation of the starch will be very shut-off valve 24. complete and uniform. Practically every f the jacket is a particle ,of starch will be affected by the 25 having a valve 26. A acid. For this reason the dextrinization of ded with a valve the product is uniform and the product free t of thejacket. from lumps. Heretofore it has been found he upper part of h which air and steam may allied products, to obtain uniform converhe water is turned on. The sion throughout the batch and to avoid the bly constructed with a formation of lumps- On account of the outlet pipe 31 lumpy condition of the product it has been vapors resulting from usual to sift or bolt it before shipment. My tion may be carried off. method gives a product which is uniformly bly provided with an converted throughout and which contains no 32 operated by motor 33.

oving parts, of the apparatus conveyer should be lumpy, the lumps will be 34 broken up while moving through the dexa shaft revolving in bearings intrinizing vessel. The construction of the ts 35 and carrying a sprocket conveyer thoroughly mixes the material tothe diflicult, in the manufacture of dextrin or lumps. Even if the starch delivered to the by a chain 37 which extends gether so that even 1f the initial acidulatioll wheel 38 on the armais not perfectly uniform, the mixture of tor J. On one end of starch and acid is perfect and homogeneous 39 meshed with before the material reaches the converting I 1 which extends vessel. Preferably the entire batch of ough a suitable stuiiing starch is acidulated and delivered to the blades E being secured converting vessel, as above described, before ower end of the shaft is the process of conversion is commenced, al-

43. Mounted in though the heat may. be turned on when the ting framework batch begins to run into the converter.

lley 47 The conversion of the starch into the deon the sired product is accomplished 'by introduc- The countershaft 46 carries a ing steam into the jacket 22 while keeping 1 5 hich drives a sprocket the material in agitation by driving the d a sprocket wheel mixer agitator E. As soon as the starch has f the conveying and mixbeen converted to the extent necessary to g worm. Fixed to the shaft 46 is a gear give the desired product, the steam is shut 23 wheel 53 which'meshes with a gear wheel 54 off by closing valve 24 and immediately j on a shaft 55 on which is fixed the upper thereafter cold water is injected into the sprocket lower spro designated shaft 34 an of a clutch lever 59. The dextrinizing vided with a suitable door 60 throu the converted product pa The air pressure nozzle G is contro air reservoir I.

Utilizing the apparatus my method of converting trin or other allied conversi follows: The starch tion, is conveyed the hopper 14 vator hopper wheel 56 'of the elevator D, the steam jacket by opening valve 26 in the cket wheel of the elevator being .water pipe 25. The steam and air escape 57 The pulley 49 is loose on the through pet-cock 29 which is opened at the d is coupled thereto by means same time. The water, after fillin the 58 which 1s operated by the jacket, fiowsout through the pipe 2%, the

vessel is provalve 28 of which is opened-when the water gh which is turned on. The circulation, of water t may be removed. through the jacket is kept up until the prod- I d to the atomizing not is cool. This cooling of the batch before lled by a valve 61 on the withdrawing it from the converting vessel by immediately stopping the process of conabove described, version gives the product a uniformity starch into dexwhich is lacking when methods which have on product 18 as heretofore been used. are employed.- Ordiin pulverulent condinarily it hasbeen the custom, after shutting from the storage bin G to off the heat, to discharge the-converted prod V e chain and bucket elenot from the dextrinizing vessel,.after which flow of the starch from the it is allowed to cool or is artificially cooled.

14 into the conveying and m1xing de- The result of this method is that the residua-l heat in the material prolongs the process of conversion, this converslon being more extensive in some parts of the batch than in others, so that, in the first plate, one

-' there is interposed between the mixer B and tions of the batch form of thin ribbons. 'ture of the acid with does not obtain exactly the degree of conversion required in order to give a product of the character desired, since the. amount of conversion due to residual heat is not easily calculated, and, in the second place, the product is not uniform, a higher degree of conversion being reached in some porthan in others.

In Figs. 3 to 7 inclusive, I have shown an apparatus similar in its general organization to the apparatus shown in the first two figures but modified so that the starch after being sprayed with the acid and mixed in the mixer B is subjected to further treatment having for its purpose to insure the complete and homogeneous acidification of every particle of the starch and prevent over-acidulation of certain particles with consequent-charring and formation of black specks which all dextrin, and like products, manufactured according to commercial processes heretofore employed contain to a greater or less extentand which are detrimental to the product even when in quantities which cannot be readily observed y casual inspection. With this end in view the converting vessel A a mill or auxiliary mixer, designated as a whole by the letter I he material is introduced from this device into the converting vessel A by any suitable means, for example, by means of a screw conveyer L which occupies the same position with respect to the converting vessel as does the mixer B in the other form of apparatus.

The auxiliary mixing device consists of a preferably cylindrical drum 62 formed with a plurality of relatively narrow elongated slits 63 having preferably the staggered. arrangement shownfwithin which drum is arranged a shaft 64 carrying a number of paddles or beaters 65, the ends of which work in close proximity to the drum. The material from the mixer. B is fed into the drum 62 through an opening 66 and is forced by the paddles through the slits 63 in the This makes the mixthe starch complete and perfectly homogeneous. If any lumps remain after the mixing in the mixer are necessarily broken up when the passes through the slitted fabric of the drum. The drum is closed at opposite ends by suitable heads 67. Preferably the drum is surrounded by a housing 68, the lower part 69 of which serves as a housing for the screw conveyer L, the shaft 70 of which is provided with a gear 71 meshed with a gear 72 'on the shaft. 64. The latter is provided starch referred to and inmy tion Serial No. 51258 filed September 17,.

B they with a sprocket wheel 73 driven by a chain- 74 from a. sprocket wheel 75 on the shaft 20 of mixer B.

This application is a continuation with respect to the process illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 herein of my co-pending application, Serial N 0. 766,332, filed May 8, 1913, for apparatus for making modified starches.

No claim is made herein to the apparatuses here disclosed as these apparatuses are claimed in the co-pending application just co-pending applica- I claim: I '1. The method of making modified starches, which consists in feeding a batch of'pulverized starch a little at a time into a dextrinizing vessel, adding to the starch during the operation of feeding it into the vessel a suitable acid at a rate proportioned to the rate at which the starch is fed so that the starch is uniformly acidulated,-and applying heat to the material ing vessel while keeping it til the desired reached.

2. The method of making modified starches, which consists in feeding a batch of pulverized starch a little at a time into a dextrinizing vessel, adding to the starch during the operation of feeding it into the vessel a suitable-acid at a rate proportioned to the rate at which the starch is fed so that the starch is uniformly acidulated, applying heat to the material in the dextrinizing vessel while keeping it in agitation until the desired degree of conversion is reached, withdrawing the "heat, and bringing a cooling fluid into contact with the outside of said vessel. 3. The method of making modified starches, which consists in feeding a batch of pulverized starch uniform rate into a dextrinizing vessel, adding acid to said stream of starch continuously at a uniform rate, and after the entire batch has'been introduced into the dextrinizing vessel applying heat to said vessel and agitating the material therein. 4. The method of making modified starches, which consists in feeding a batch of pulverized starch a little at a time into in agitation undegree of conversion 1s in the dextrinizcontinuously and at a a dextrinizing vessel, adding to the starch and applying heat to the material in the dextrinizing vessel while keeping the same-in agitation until the desired degree of conversion is reached.

5. The method of making modified starches, which consists in feeding pulverized starch into a 'dextrinizing vessel and during the operation of feeding it into the vessel a suitable acid at a rate proportione to the rate at which the starch is fed so that the starch is uniformly acidulated, and, after the batch has been introduced into said vessel, applying heat thereto while keeping the material in agitation, shutting oflf the heat when the desired degree of conversion has been reached and immediately applying thereto a cooling medium so as to stop the process of conversion.

7 The method of making modified starches, which consists in feeding a batch of pulverized starch continuously and at a uniform rate into a dextrinizing vessel, adding acidto said stream of starch in the form of a spray, and, after the entire batch has been introduced into the dextrinizing vessel, applying heat to the vessel and agitating the material therein.

8. The method of making modified starches, which consists in feeding a batch of pulverized starch continuously and at a uniform rate into a dextrinizing vessel, acidulating the stream of starch by the application thereto of acid in the form of a spray, and converting the acidulated starch by applying heat thereto while keeping the same in agltatlon.

9. The method of making modified starches, which consists in feeding a batch of pulverized starch continuously and at a uniform rate into a dextrinizing vessel,

adding acid to said stream of starch continuously at a uniform rate, and, after the entire batch has been introduced into the dextrinizing vessel, applying heat to said vessel and agitating the material therein until the desired degree of conversion has been reached and thereupon shutting off the effected and thereupon heat and immediately cooling the material by applying thereto a cooling medium.

10. The improvement in the method of making modified starches, which consists in shutting off the heat as soon as the desired degree of conversion in a batch of the product has been reached and thereupon immediately applying a cooling medium to the entire batch so as to stop the process of conversion throughout the same.

11. 'The method of making modified starches, which consists in heating acidulated starch in a dextrinizing vessel until the desired degree of conversion has been shutting o& the heat and applying a cooling medium to the exterior of said vessel.

12. The method of making modified starches, which consists in acidulating pulverulent starch a little at a time by meahs of a spray, and, after a batch has been acidulated in this manner, applying I heat thereto while keeping the material in agitation until the desired degree of conversion has been reached, then withdrawing the heat and immediately applying a cooling medium to the entire batch so as to stop the process of conversion throughout the same.

13. The method of making modified starches, which consists inwint'roducing a suitable acid, into pulverulent starch, producing a complete and homogeneous acidulation of the starch by forcing the starch and acid a little at a time through a screen formed with narrow, elongated slits, then applying heatto the material and keeping it in agitation until a desii'ed degree of conversion has been reached.

14. The improvement in the methodof manufacturing modified starches which con sists in producing a complete and homogeneous acidulation of the starch before conversion by mixing the acid with the starch and thereupon forcing the material through a perforated screen.

ADOLPH W. H. LENDERS.

Witnesses:

C. W. BLOOMHALL, A. M. DOUGLAS.

Correction in Letters Patent Nc.1,159,592.-

It is hereby certified thet Li n Letters Patent No. 1,159,592, granted November 9, 1915, upon the application of Adolph Lenders, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa for ah improvement in Processes of Making Modified Sterohes, an error appears in the printed specification requiring eorreetion es follows: Page 3, line 4, for the word platelhread place; and that the seid Letters Patent should be read with this oorrection therein'that the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Oflice. d I I .Si h dsnd sealed this 7th day of December, A. 15., 1915.

R. WHITEHEAD,

Acting OOmmissiener qfPatente.

[SEAL] 

